food_fantasyfandomcom-20200213-history
Dorayaki/Story
'Fondness Story' 'I. Coming Spring' With the passing of winter, spring is in the air. And with the coming of spring, this place is surrounded by cherry blossoms. This is my favorite season. It's high time to go out with my younger sister and catch the stag beetles in the nearby woods. She would praise my stag beetle catching prowess. "Brother, you're so amazing!" It was a happy time for,, me! But now ... "Brother, don't sleep in Sensei's class!" My cute little sister sat next to me, looking as cute as ever. "He's always blathering on about this and that... who can understand?" I whispered as I leaned against the desk resting my chin in my hands with a forlorn look in my eyes. "Well, it would be good for you to learn as much as you can. Sensei has been working so hard to teach us." "Okay, okay okay. Gees. Saucy is always the best at everything. Right?" I answered flippantly. "Brother, don't say it out of spite." "Humph I didn't!" My adorable little sister no longer looked at me with those adoring eyes that she used to. Actually, the culprit was that forever stone-faced jerk who likes talking to cats. I really didn't know what's so great about him. Heh, maybe we should blame Saury. Every class was so dull. And that expression of his never-ever changed, which did nothing but make me mad. I just couldn't understand why anyone would be willing to sit thee listening to this completely unfathomable stuff. I just leaned on my short desk next to the sliding door, and didn't even open my book. That poser up there in the front of the class pretending to be the teacher never paid any attention to me anyway, I might just as well have a nice nap. The afternoon sunshine in spring afternoon is so inviting. The breeze blew gently and the sweet aroma of flowers wafted in. A cherry blossom fluttered silently into the room and fell on my desk. Ah, spring is the best of all seasons. I really wanted to go out catching stag beetles with my little sister. Oh? Right! He wouldn't notice anyway, might as well just slip away. The more I thought about it, the easier it was to convince myself of the idea. The moment that Saury lowered her head, I darted out of there quick as lightning. After I got out I hid in one corner of a room I found. I pushed further inside the room exploring. Nothing. Great, I got away with it! I drank in the deep blue sky with my eyes, feeling an indescribable sense of delight; it was like I had been born again! I should have done this a long time ago! I had just let my guard done when I noticed a pack of cats rush to the room. These kinds of things only happen when Saury is around. How could she have suddenly gotten out? It looked like the best thing to do was give her the slip! I threw my yo-yo onto the maple tree branch beside the room and swung into the thick canopy of maple leaves to hide. "Please take good care of my brother." An unfamiliar girl slowly approached accompanied by the wooden sound of get a clogs rapping on the ground. My sight was obscured by the dense leaves, I couldn't quite make out what was happening in the room. "Isn't there a newcomer at our school?" 'II. Tangle of Heart' I waited for a long time to make sure they were gone. I tried to move forward to see more clearly, to make sure I was safe. But once I moved a bit I slipped and fell out of the tree. ---Whoosh----- The only thing I was aware of was the stinging pain of branches slapping my face. When I came to, I realized I was stuck on a thick, tough branch and couldn't move. "Ah! Ow ow, ow, ow, ouch!" I shifted my body weight to lean against the trunk, while at the same time rubbing the spot on my belly that had just hit the branch. This was one abnormally tall tree. Luckily, I am good at all kinds of sports, and much better at climbing than that nutty cat lover. "The morning glow illuminates the distant sierras, sakuras bloom atop their peaks. When the petals fall I shall see, fleeting the blossoms' radiance shall be." The sound of a poetry emanated from the school. The class bell normally rang at that time. I thought I'd better go back to get my sister. "You can hear the sound of reading from this spot." The sound of a voice under the tree I was climbing caught me off guard; I yelped out in surprise. Huh? I didn't expect anyone in the forest so early in the morning. "Are the trees talking?" Should I have answered? "Hmmm...maybe I'm just hearing things." I detected a twinge of disappointment in her voice. Speaking of voices, this girl's voice just seemed so familiar, it sounded like the one who was just talking with Saury. Curiosity burned inside of me, I just had to have a look, so I peered down from the tree and saw a girl in a red kimono. Even though I just glanced at her, I'll never forget the angelic beauty of that face. Her long jet black hair, the slightly raised side face looks faintly in the direction of the shinjuku school, her emerald green eys were glum and full of sadness. What was up with that expression? If she was unwilling to leave her brother, she shouldn't have sent him here. Being together always was the way to go, just like me and my sister. I didn't say anything, I just went right back to the shinjuku. I thought I could venture through the forest with my sister someday. But as I came charging back in all excited, I saw "Mr. Bob Cut" talking and laughing with my sister. "Is the one who just sent Sashimi here your sister?" "Yes, she is my older sister Sushi." "She's such a pretty girl." "Thanks, you look quite lovely when you smile." "Hehheh. Smiling can bring you good luck." "Yes." I spite of the leisurely atmosphere, I couldn't help feeling alarmed. Good boy, making trouble on the first day of school. "Are you new here?" I squeezed in between my sister and him aggressively, threatening him with an intense stare. Yet, Mr. Bob Cut still just smiled at me. "Nice to meet you, I am Sashimi. Please take care of me." "Brother, don't frown like this, if you don't try and smile more, you'll scare all the good luck away!" My sister said pointing down to my frown. "By the way, where were you just now?" "I went outside to get some fresh air, class was so boring." I acted like nothing had happened. "Alright, let's go out to play later." "I can't I have something to do." She said it differently than usual but still in the same old tone. "Something to do?" "Yes, it's very important." That was the first time she's ever kept anything from me. Up till that time, we'd spent every day together. My sister always called me brother with such an innocent tone. I thought that such companionship would continue forever. Could it be she felt she didn't need me? That she wanted to grow up alone? No no no ! That was the only thing I can't accept. I suddenly remembered those eyes full of hurt under the maple tree, and all at once, I could understand her feelings. But I never thought that this kind of thing would cut so deeply even just thinking about it. 'III. Hearts Distance' My sister has been busy with something recently, and she has been completely ignoring me. Even if I asked her about it, she just smiled and said it was a “secret.” I felt like the whole world had abandoned me. Life was boring without my sister. I climbed the tree alone, and surveyed the shijuku school encircled by cherry trees. “Jeez, I’m totally so bored.” I played with my yo-yo in my hand and watched it revolving there at top speed, but I couldn’t help sighing out of sheer boredom. Is this the sound of a tree nymph? The familiar voice sounded again. What terrible luck. I forgot she was here. That stinky boy’s sister comes out to stand under the trees and gaze at the shijuku every day. “Uh, yeah, yeah…” I suddenly lowered my voice. We didn’t know each other. And i was just messing around anyway “Sorry for bothering you like this. I’ve been standing under this tree for the last few days, and I apologize for not saying hi sooner.” She said as she suddenly sat down. Um… how should I put this, I felt she was so different from Sashimi. “It’s ok, it’s ok, you can stay here if you want.” I am not a real tree nymph, why was I being so lenient? “Thank you very much.” Her careful and sincere thanks, made me feel a little guilty. “By the way, why do you come here every day?” I asked off the top of my head. “I just want to know that my brother is ok.” “Isn’t it better to go see him? You won’t know just standing here.” “If I did what you said, I would want to see him even more.” Then shouldn’t you want to always be with him? You are his sister after all. I said matter of factly. “Uh huh...that’s because we’re brother and sister.” Sushi said with a gentle smile on her face, while also looking forlorn. “It’s because I know it was a hard decision, so I didn’t want to bother him.” I couldn’t grasp what she’s saying, just as I couldn’t forget the steadfast look in her eyes as she spoke. You just don’t want you and your brother to be apart, isn’t this a good enough reason? I thought. “Brother, brother!” My sister’s voice suddenly snapped me back to reality. “Brother, what are you thinking?” “Nothing~” “Hurry up, brother, we’re going to be late!” My sister said with a smile as I let her clutch my hand. “What?” It was so late, what matter could we possibly have to attend to? 'IV. Rain of Cherry Blossoms' Though I thought it was strange, I followed my sister outside. The moon was exceptionally round that night. The cherry blossoms fluttered off the trees dancing in the silvery moonlight like rain. Huh? Cherry blossom rain? I even thought to myself there were too many sakuras for the season. I looked up and saw that food soul Sakuramochi was sitting on the cherry tree branches tossing sakura petals. Under the haunting beauty of the night moon, this scene I’d grown tired of was transformed into something entirely different. A few small wooden shelves too small to be called booths were sitting there under the fading light, filled to the brim with an assortment of my sister’s very favorite pies. “Brother, look, it’s a ceremony!” My sister stood in front of me with a smile beaming over her face, I suddenly had a flashback to the past. “Brother, cheer up okay?” “Okay.” In that instant the worries that plagued my mind just seemed to disappear right along with the sakura petals floating to the ground. So these past few days my sister had been preparing all this for me? Sure enough, my sister still loves me! I thought I could spend a wonderful evening with my sister. It turned out that, not only were my sister’s close friends sakuramochi and strawberry daifuku there, but also the two guys, Saury and Sashimi! “Hey, who let these two losers along for the ride?” Now my whole interest in this thing was cut in half. “Oh! This shindig today is also a welcome for Sashimi to the shijuku school.’ Great. What she just said just killed my once halved interest. I stood and looked at the firework-less ceremony. I don’t know where Sashimi managed to find the fish, but my sister was utterly captivated by his knife-work. Saury sat there quietly with the cat as usual, but I didn’t know when a man with the gray hair and kimono would come and sit beside him. “Who is this?” “You don’t know that he is Sukiyaki of the Red Leaf Pavilion? He is an old friend of Sensei’s, he often gives us food to eat. “Sukiyaki?” Uh huh, Sashimi used to live in the Red Leaf Pavilion, so he’s brought some fish for Sashimi! The Red Leaf Pavilion? His sister must be living there. I suddenly thought. Would she look at me with those sorrowful eyes? If she were here right now, could I actually see her with a smile of sincerity on her face? 'V. Dorayaki' On the second day after the welcoming ceremony had ended, Dorayaki was hiding in the tree as before. For some unknown reason, I was suddenly looking forward to meeting Sushi. But Sushi didn’t come around on that day. Dorayaki was lying on the tree, he had fallen asleep until it got dark without realizing it. He thought that he hadn’t seen Sushi because he had fallen asleep, so, he waited in the tree until the next day. But regardless of what day it was, the next day or the third day, Sushi did not return. I felt an emptiness in my heart, but I didn’t stop waiting and hoping. ”Brother, how come you have you been so listless lately?” Taiyaki waved her hand in front of Dorayaki’s face. ”No, your brother is energetic and vivacious every day.” Dorayaki suddenly stood up and gestured to come over. ”Oh? Speak of the devil, where is Sashimi?” ”He went back at the Red Leaf Pavilion yesterday." Taiyaki said buoyantly. ”She’s seen her brother who she really wanted to have a pow-wow with, but she confirmed it’s not necessary for him to come back”. He kept what Dorayaki’s sister said stored away in his mind. He sat on the tree trying to calm down. ”Are you the tree nymph of these parts?” A cold and indifferent voice came emanating from under the tree. ”Wow!” Dorayaki, who was lying on the tree, suddenly sat up expecting Sushi to be there. But Dorayaki didn’ t have time to do a voice. ”You..you’re here?” He thought it was too late, but he still tried to lower his voice. ”You’re an odd tree nymph.” ”Hehheh. That’s because I just woke up, just woke up.” Silence. Dorayaki was thinking about how to continue the conversation. But the usually reticent Sushi spoke up first. He’s back. Sounds great. Dorayaki said sincerely. Another round of silence. ”I didn’t stop myself from going to the shijuku a few days back.” You went to the shijuku? Dorayaki was shocked, he hadn’t heard the news? The school held a welcoming party for my brother that day. Wel…Welcoming party. Dorayaki got a little flustered. ”That’s was an awful busy day..Hah..Hah” Dorayaki laughed awkwardly. He didn't know if Sushi had noticed the fact that he had been teasing Sashimi. ”On that day, I noticed a food soul named Dorayaki, who seemed really fed up with my brother.” Sushi talked calmly but left Dorayaki feeling very nervous. It seems the more you don’t want something to happen the likelier it is that it will happen. I didn’t expect a good impression. This was definitely the worst impression ever. The scariest thing was that she even knew the name. Dorayaki sighed at his tragic fate. ”Eh..that..actually, that Dorayaki is not a bad guy.” Dorayaki tried as hard as he could to save face. ”Yes, I know.” Sushi interrupted Dorayaki. ”Sorry, but I almost wanted to fight him at that moment.” ”Huh?” In an instant, what Sushi said stopped all thought in Dorayaki’s head. ”That..that’s a dangerous thought.” Dorayaki never realized that he was in big trouble at that point. But now, I’m actually very thankful for him. ”Huh?” It changed suddenly. Was it because he had asked Sashimi to go back to see her? Dorayaki didn’t know the answer. Just like he didn’t know the answer. Why did he look at her bright, smiling when he looked at the face when she looking at the school? Even his heart became a little brighter at that moment. Category:Food Soul Story